


Compensating

by DaintyDuck_99



Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: Character Focus, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-26
Updated: 2015-01-26
Packaged: 2018-03-09 03:11:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3234110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaintyDuck_99/pseuds/DaintyDuck_99
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marco can hold his own....but now that a magical girl has tilted his world, can he keep up with her? If he can make this mundane basket, maybe his brain will shut up about it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Compensating

He was on his last leg. If he failed, those azure spirits would cease to drink in his every move as if he were the incredible Energizer Bunny, unstoppable. It was only four, but Marco was honestly exhausted after two periods of math, Star's complicated dimensional shortcut for the math (and the lunch line...which was a far more literal long shortcut involving trans-dimensional scissors), fabricating an explanation as to why he had barged into the girl's bathroom-he could hardly tell the principal that Star had shoved an angry miniature overlord from another world into the lackluster plumbing--and remaining vigilant on the walk home. When Star encountered the new basketball hoop, however, once they'd minded (or in her case, hacked mindlessly through) the treacherous cacti in his backyard, he expected hearts and flaming kittens to pop out of her ethereal blue eyes. If he missed the shot, any disappointment in them would devour him. 

He knew it was silly; a symbiotic, positive impression had already cemented their friendship--heck, she actually bought him toilet paper after numerous attempts to conjure some had resulted in a waist-high pile of Paper-Mache toilets. It was endearing in a way; he'd accompanied her to the store, and she never quit prancing and singing over every new thing she encountered. Many times she would dash off, only to zip right back with a paraphernalia of luxurious consumer goods: bubblegum, disposable razors, rubber ducks...demanding to know the function of each one. 

Marco had never needed to educate anyone on any terms before-hand, but he was surprisingly good at it, he found. His parents offered their praise on the night he happened to be demonstrating the proper way to use chopsticks. "Oh, Marco, you've been doing such a splendid job of integrating Star into a string of new cultures!" his mother had trilled. "Ay," Papi agreed, "mi hijo has heaps of good sense. Like street smarts! And he makes some mean nachos. Si, this one is a keeper, Star." 

While the others had shared a laugh--not at his expense, indeed, it was borne via good nature--he could only summon a blush. What was wrong with him? He rarely became flustered, outside of math. And the OCASSIONAL safety hazard . 

"Are you gonna keep staring at the bull like it's Ms. Dobbs, or are we gonna play?" Star inquired, banishing his reverie. "Ball," he corrected, but it came from a mouth quirking upwards. "We're playing. I told you how to score?" She hummed with expectation in a way that meant, "Yes." 

The unfortunate phrasing of this thought provoked a fresh blush, and the resolve to stop swiping his mother's romance novels. Steeling himself one last time, he took the shot. It flew, swooping in a beautiful arc- only to fall about a foot short. It was dumb, but he felt the muscles in his face crumpling in the human definition of 'dejected.' 

Star cooed and patted his shoulder. "Aw, Marco, even your hair is wilting. Don't be sad! In Mewni, if you fail to complete a task in the Triad-lympics, a nymph brings you green triangle food! Or she eats you. But that only happens if you make a big deal about it! It's not a big deal." 

By the end of her speech, Marco was grinning, and for the first time he was the one to initiate their hug, engulfing himself in a golden sea and glitter and enthusiastic limbs. "I know...I guess I just want to hold my own weight. Compensate for my lack of magic? Normality, I guess."   
"But we're already even!" she insisted, muffled into his shoulder. "I might have magic, but you have...how did your Papi put it? Heaps of good sense. We make a good team. I guess you can say we compensate for each other. " "Yeah..." he stooped a little to kiss her cheek as they untangled their limbs. 

"Wait, how does Princess Pony Head fit into the equation?" She frowned, and he loved the way her tongue poked out the side of her mouth as she deliberated. "I don't know...we'll discuss it while we make triangle food. Race you!" As she bolted for the back door, powder blue skirt flying and the basketball quite forgotten, he thought fondly, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

**Author's Note:**

> I was hooked by this show's introduction; it's zany and adorable and full of potential. So, I had to play with the characters. Please let me know if anything is unclear; constructive criticism would be awesome. C:


End file.
